


The Darkest Timeline

by FightTheThorn



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Captivity, M/M, Manipulation, Non-Consensual Touching, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-defeat, Silent Protagonist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FightTheThorn/pseuds/FightTheThorn
Summary: In a twist, Red is defeated by Giovanni in their climax battle. Finally able to bring down the bulldozer that consistently foiled Team Rocket's plans almost single-handedly, Giovanni is able to turn the tides of the organisation.
Relationships: Red/Sakaki | Giovanni
Kudos: 19





	The Darkest Timeline

**Author's Note:**

> As I don't push the Giovanni / Red ship unless Red is above age, I aged up Red (at least in my head) as he is in Sun and Moon, however, perhaps in his early 20's.

Red fell to his knees. He looked on as his Pikachu crumpled to the floor with Rhydon’s final charge attack. Thankfully, he could see it was still breathing. Unfortunately, as his opponent strode over to him, he realised he had other, more pressing issues to contend with.

Giovanni looked down on him, Rhydon and Nidoqueen standing threateningly behind him. 

The entire battle had been a blur. His Charizard was the first defeated, overwhelmed by sheer power. It unnerved and intimidated Red, setting up the rest of battle for failure. 

Giovanni tisked disapprovingly, yet the smug smile didn’t falter. “I’m disappointed, Red. I expected more from our final battle.” He straightened his black suit at the ends and absentmindedly brushed at the Team Rocket emblem over his suit pocket. Giovanni didn’t look away as he gestured to something Red couldn’t see. 

Red couldn’t take his eyes off Giovanni either. The man’s black eyes were chilling. He was entranced, angered, frustrated. His Pokémon, the team he’d travelled with for more than a year, took down all of Team Rocket’s schemes with, all useless against _real_ power. 

Hands grabbed Red and forced him to stand. They clamped on his arms, holding them tightly behind his back. He hazily tore his eyes from Giovanni to see two Pokémon he didn’t know the name of on either side of him. Red tugged at their hold on principle, but found surprisingly very little wiggle room. 

“I will admit, you’ve been a thorn in my side for far too long.” Giovanni stepped forward, cupping Red’s chin, and forced the younger man to look at him directly. “Thankfully, I’ve captured the transgressor now.” 

Even through the haze of defeat, Red defiantly shook his head free of Giovanni’s touch. _Bite me._ He glared, his hands clenched into fists.

“Respect your elders.” Giovanni roughly ruffled Red’s hair before turning his back to the young man. “Despite your loss, allow me to commend you. You’ve systematically dismantled my entire organization, beaten my lieutenants at every turn, and even broke my hold on Saffron City. You fared well enough against the stock I was training, but you got cocky. You didn’t honestly believe you’d face me like you did at Silph Co., did you? I’ll admit, those Pokémon were enough for the riff-raff I usually deal with, but you… you were special. A young, petulant twenty year old boy who managed all of that. You thought because you beat me once before, you could do it again? Did it not occur to you the reach and strength I possessed? I am the final Gym Leader and the leader of Team Rocket. I have my pick of the strongest and most interesting Pokémon in the known world. I was a trainer before you were a glimmer in your mother’s eye. You should have turned tail and ran the second you saw me.

“But you didn’t. Oh, don’t mistake me. I appreciate your foolhardy stupidity, bulldozing your way through with the power of your bonds. But it’s not enough when faced with raw power, refined as a driving force. I am an honorable man. You had a chance at victory -- however, you’re a fool if you sincerely thought you’d succeed. I thought I’d at least humour you with a final battle. It wasn’t bad, as battles go. You’re a fine trainer. Just not my level.” Giovanni snapped his fingers. “I am sincerely pleased to add your team to Team Rocket.”

There was a loud, sudden pop as an Abra appeared in front of Red. It reached out and tugged at his belt with his Pokéballs attached. 

He snarled, snapping out of his reverie. Red thrashed against the hands holding him back. He gnashed his teeth, grunting with all his might against the Pokémon holding him. It was like trying to struggle out of concrete, with how little give they offered. Instead he kicked viciously at the little one. His heart dropped as Abra retaliated by vanished with another pop. 

It reappeared at Giovanni’s side, holding out the belt. 

Giovanni took his time, holding them up to appreciate their gleam. He ran his finger over all six Pokéballs before ending on the last. He pulled it from the velcro and pointed it at the fainted Pikachu, capturing it in the red beam before holding the belt up for Red to see. “Team Rocket thanks you for your donation.” He bowed a little -- yet another insult. 

Red glared. Hatred and malice contained in every muscle. It plainly said, _if you’re going to kill me, get it over with_.

Giovanni’s sinister laugh filled the room. The large battlefield echoed and reverberated his bone chilling laugh deep enough to send a chill down Red’s spine. “Kill you? You insult me. I am a civilized man. I would not murder a competitor in cold blood. Not one as young and as talented as you. Everyone has heard of ‘Red’ the famous enigma. I wouldn’t kill you. Not when your defeat and life could be an effective example to any who dares to cross me in the future.” He walked up and gripped Red jaw tightly. “Besides, I quite like you.” 

His eyes widened as Giovanni kissed his cheek. 

“I am deeply disheartened to say this will be your last battle with me; however, you will join me, if only in body.” Giovanni flashed him one final sinister grin before he snapped his fingers again and turned his back to his captive.

Red gulped and felt renewed strength, his struggles becoming more frantic and hurried. He looked around him, searching for what Giovanni had signalled. Out of the darkness thin, green vines wrapped around his legs and his hands. It began to wrap more securely around him, tugging at his limbs to meet its counterpart. Soon his feet met, the vines tangling themselves up his pant legs. The vines did the same on his wrists, before circling up around his arms and then encompassing his chest. Then the other two Pokémon let go, walking to stand at Giovanni’s side. 

Giovanni glanced back over his shoulder, leering at him with an expression Red feared. 

He opened his mouth. To scream? To toss a final insult? 

But a vine wrapped over his mouth and then between his teeth, cutting him off. 

Red’s eyes widened as he was slowly consumed in the darkness of a Tangrowth.

\------------

Team Rocket’s grip on Kanto became stronger than ever without Red’s influence as a force against them. The Gym Leaders attempted to hold off their schemes the best they could, yet they lacked the strength to do more than inconvenience the organisation. They were stretched too thin, attempting to push back Team Rocket’s onslaught. 

Giovanni still had the three Gym Leaders Lt. Surge -- the Lightning Lieutenant --, Koga -- the Poisonous Ninja Master --, and Sabrina -- the Psychic Master -- to off-set the League, allowing him to re-establish his hold over Kanto. 

Confident in his reach, Giovanni moved his operation to Johto, which was as yet unmarred by any organisations or gang control. 

Giovanni looked out over Goldenrod City, his fingers tapping on a sizable silver box safely fastened beside him as his helicopter steered them to Goldenrod Radio Tower. He patiently waited for the helicopter to land before he stood, releasing a Machamp and gesturing to the metallic box. It obediently grabbed it and followed Giovanni inside. 

They rode the elevator to Giovanni’s Kanto Office on the top floor where three of Giovanni’s grunts waited to greet him. 

“Giovanni!” They said simultaneously, saluting him. “Welcome back to HQ!” 

Giovanni nodded, walking past them. “Set up my guest.” 

They hurried to comply, taking the box from Machamp and opening it. 

Red sat inside, thoroughly bound in ropes. He squinted at the sudden bright light. Rope had been fashioned into a bit-gag and securely pulled behind his head. Ropes were also bound at his ankles, knees, wrists, chest, and a rope looped behind his neck and to his knees, forcing him forward. He squirmed weakly as the three grunts helped him out of the box, unbinding the rope forcing him forward and then the rope around his legs. They helped him stand and led him to the windows. 

Red put up a fight, eyeing a d-ring on the wall with a chain and leather collar attached to it. Even after months of captivity, he still mustered up the will to fight such indignities. 

Even so, three grunts were more than enough to lock the collar around his neck. 

Red lunged at them, but they hurried backward until Red reached the end of the lead and his collar pulled taut. He gagged and tumbled to the ground. Then, he hurriedly shuffled back to the wall, loudly squirming in the ropes.

Giovanni watched, eyes wandering over Red’s bound body. He gestured for the grunts to ignore Red now and line up in front of him. “Don’t be impolite,” he chided, receiving a snarl and a glare from his captive from the floor. Giovanni seemed to cherish Red’s resilience, pleased with the response. He turned his eyes to the grunts. “Report.”

The redheaded woman in the centre quickly brought down the projector with the remote. She gestured to the screen as footage of three large dogs appeared. “We’ve learned about three legendary Pokémon that originated in the ashes of the Burned Tower at Ecruteak City. They’re spread throughout Johto, but all Team Rocket members are keeping an eye out for them.”

The tall, black haired grunt continued the report without skipping a beat. The footage changed to a large lake. “Despite our pressure on the League in Kanto, the previous Champion Lance has been seen at the lake located just north of Mahogany Town. We are worried he may be attempting to interfere with our current projects there.”

Giovanni scoffed. “Send Atilla and Hun to handle Lance. Lance is much too strong with his dragons, but capture is preferred to other methods.” He smirked. “Do you have footage of Red’s Pokémon? I’m sure he’s worried about them.” 

The final grunt nodded and took the remote. 

The video shifted to Charizard using Flamethrower on a herd of Tauros to Pikachu powering up Team Rocket’s machines, Blastoise flooding the sewer system, Lapras shepherding Team Rocket members across bodies of water, Snorlax using its large size to bulldose buildings, Venusaur capturing Pokémon in one of Johto’s dense forests.

Giovanni watched Red appreciatively. “Take the Charizard and Lapras and give them to Atila and Hun. They should be able to take down Lance with their combined power.”

Red’s fight softened slightly as he was transfixed, watching his Pokémon flip through on the screen. 

The grunts bowed. 

“If you have nothing else…” 

The grunts all left single-file.

Giovanni waited for them to leave the room completely. Once the doors shut, he walked to Red and took off his hat. He dusted it with a hand before replacing it on Red’s head. “You always become disheveled in transit.” 

Red didn’t appreciate Giovanni’s coddling, unsuccessfully trying to interrupt Giovanni’s handling of his hat. 

“Whatever the case, your consistent resistance means you’re healthy.” Giovanni grabbed Red by his shirt and dragged him to the end of his lead, kissing his gag dominantly. He didn’t let go until Red whined, begging him to release him.

Red stumbled back, his legs still a little weak from sitting for such a long while. He crumpled to the floor, breathing heavily. 

Giovanni nodded, pleased with himself. He walked behind Red, kneeling down. His hand slipped up from Red’s back to his neck. His large hand gently forced his head up to watch the footage again. “All your Pokémon have been instrumental to my plans. Your defeat was the best thing that ever happened to Team Rocket.” Giovanni whispered. His breath tickled Red’s ear, causing the young man to flinch. “Don’t worry. I reward good behaviour.” He forced Red’s eyes back to the screen. “First you can see them from afar. Then maybe I’ll allow you to see them individually. If you agreed to join me…” Giovanni paused, “...in all that entails, perhaps I would even allow you control over them. The Great Missing Red as my second-in-command… we’d be unstoppable.” 

Red whined a little at the pleasant thought. His Pokémon returned to him, safe and sound. Even under the employ of this monster… that would be better than this months-long captivity. His eyes stared at the screen, Giovanni’s fingers tightly gripping his head to ensure Red watched his Pokémon, forced to weigh his options with the consequences of his failure playing on the screen.


End file.
